Five Breakout South American Players in the Club World Cup

The Club World Cup group stage is in the rearview mirror and one of the main takeaways of the tournament so far is the strong performances of a number of Latin American teams.

All four Brazilian teams in the competition made it to the knockout rounds, with three of those teams topping their groups. For North America, Liga MX side Monterrey and MLS's Inter Miami also made it through to the last 16.

The vast majority of the these teams' rosters are constructed by South American players that, for the most part, are relatively unknown to soccer fans outside of the Americas.

The Club World Cup has offered these players a chance to go up against some of the best European sides in the world currently and, to this point, they've more than held their own.

South American soccer has long been one of the biggest sources of talent for European soccer. In many ways, it's Europe's academy and the Club World Cup has showed there's plenty of players worthy of making the jump to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

Here's five breakout South American players from the Club World Cup that could join European sides in the near future.

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Richard Rios: Palmeiras - Colombia

Richard Ríos enamored the world with his performances in last summer's Copa América, where he played a key role in Colombia reaching the final for the first time ever.

A year later, the 25-year-old midfielder is once again embracing the spotlight in the Club World Cup, shining for Palmeiras.

For most of his formative years, the Colombia international played five-a-side futsal and it shows. Perhaps his greatest attribute is that he's not scared of receiving the ball under pressure in the midfield areas, he has the technical ability and personality to thrive with the ball at his feet in tight spaces.

Ríos is usually deployed on the right side of a midfield double pivot, but he's a true, modern-day box-to-box midfielder. Although he's not the fastest player, his initial burst of acceleration is good enough to constantly leave markers behind. He's not a 100 passes-a-game player, but he's an excellent ball-carrier.

With impressive technical prowess, imposing physicality and personality to match, Ríos is a target of a number of Premier League clubs. Palmeiras demand a hefty price-tag, but if he keeps up his level during the tournament it's not unrealistic to think he won't be returning to the Brazilian league this summer.

Gonzalo Plata: Flamengo - Ecuador

Gonzalo Plata recovered just in time from a knee injury to be ready for the Club World Cup and now, he's making a difference.

The 24-year-old Ecuador international stole the show in Flamengo's 3–1 victory over Chelsea, bagging two assists in what was his first start in over 40 days.

The skillful Plata is a versatile player that's comfortable positioned anywhere on the attacking line, a valuable trait that hasn't gone unnoticed by Flamengo manager Filipe Luís, who recently said, "He's [Plata] so good that he can play all over the final third. On either wing, as a No. 9, as a false nine or attacking spaces from deep. He's an essential figure on the team."

Returning to South America from a complicated stint with Sporting CP and Real Valladolid revitalized Plata's career. He's back to playing consistent minutes and has shown growth in his game, especially as a creator, where he's at his best.

Plata is a product of Independiente Del Valle's academy, which many consider to be the best in the continent. Moisés Caicedo, William Pacho and Piero Hincapié all emerged from said academy in recent years and, alongside Plata, they've all contributed to the rising level of Ecuador's national team.

Strong performances in the knockout rounds could see Plata join his fellow Ecuador internationals in Europe soon.

Nelson Deossa: Monterrey - Colombia

When the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, Nelson Deossa worked as a miner in Colombia. Fast forward to the present day and he's been crucial to Monterrey's success in the Club World Cup.

Deossa came off the bench vs. Inter Milan and revitalized Monterrey's midfield en route to a draw against the Champions League finalists. Since, the 25-year-old Colombian has played every minute, becoming a key reason for his side's berth in the round of 16.

Similar to Ríos, Deossa is a powerful midfield presence that opponents seemingly can't find a way to dispossess. He was fouled seven times against River Plate in Monterrey's second game of the tournament, leading to yellow cards for Enzo Pérez and Giuliano Galoppo that led to their suspensions.

While he may not be as technically gifted as his countryman Ríos, he's an expert duel-winner and has a rocket of a left-foot. His ball-striking ability is impressive, but how complete his overall game is might be even more.

Deossa is yet to make his international soccer debut for Colombia, though he's already been called up to Néstor Lorenzo's side. If he plays alongside Ríos, Colombia could have a scary midfield-duo in next summer's World Cup.

What's true is that European clubs will have taken notice of one of the best players in Liga MX, making a return to Mexico for next season seem more unlikely with every passing day.

Igor Jesus: Botafogo - Brazil

Few performances in the Club World Cup have been better than Igor Jesus's in Botafogo's historic victory vs. Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.

Jesus's performance vs. PSG was an ode to the lone-striker system and showcased all his qualities. He showed his ability to play with his back towards goal to serve as an outlet and to clarify possessions. He tirelessly made runs into space to create attacks and pressed the entirety of the Parisians back line all game.

Finally, he single-handedly carved open the center back pairing of Lucas Beraldo and Pacho on multiple occasions, none more evident that the action that culminated with Jesus scoring perhaps the most iconic goal of the group stage.

Jesus arrived to Botafogo last summer and scored three goals in six pivotal knockout stage games that culminated in El Fogão lifting their first ever Copa Libertadores trophy. His performances earned him a call to Brazil's national team, where he scored on his debut.

Nottingham Forest are said to have a verbal agreement to sign the 24-year-old striker, who many Brazilian's believe is the best option to lead the line for La Seleçao come the 2026 World Cup.

Jhon Arias: Fluminense - Colombia

At 27-years-of-age, Fluminense winger Jhon Arias is a late bloomer. He didn't make his debut until he was 21, but since, he's become a Fluminense legend, a regular in the Colombia national team and, in the Club World Cup, he's making the whole world take notice of his talent.

In Fluminense's opening match of the tournament, Arias wreaked havoc and was the best player on the pitch as El Flu nearly bested Borussia Dortmund. A few days later, Arias scored one of the best goals of the tournament and assisted another in El Flu's victory vs. Ulsan HD.

Arias finished the group stage as the South American player with the most fouls received, ground duels won and passes that led directly to shots.

Since his arrival to the Rio de Janeiro team in 2021, he's played 226 games, scored 47 goals, tallied 55 assists and has become a club-hero by bringing the Copa Libertadores back to the Maracana in 2023.

He's one of the best technicians this side of the Atlantic Ocean, but he's also intelligent on the ball, a good decision maker and a leader, even wearing the captain's armband in the last game of the group stage.

The Colombian has confessed his desire to play in Europe at some point in his career. Now that he's a shoe-in for Lorenzo's Colombia and shining in an international competition, he looks bound to make the jump to European soccer sooner rather than later.

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